Fire fighter trainer having personal tracking and constructive injury determination and methods of training

Abstract

The present invention is a fire fighter trainer. The fire fighter trainer is used to train fire fighters to extinguish a simulated fire scenario. The fire fighter trainer includes a burner assembly for providing fire and a mechanism for detecting application of fire suppressant, suppressing agent or surrogate suppressing agent. The detecting mechanism is disposed adjacent to the burner assembly, such as below it. The fire fighter trainer also includes a control system for controlling the burner depending on a signal from the detecting mechanism. The control system also comprises a mechanism for determining if a burning object simulated by the burner assembly would reignite based on application of fire suppressing agent and parameters defining a simulated burning object. The control system is in communication with the detecting mechanism and the burner assembly. Preferably, there is a mechanism for reigniting the burner assembly based on an output of the determining mechanism. The fire fighter trainer can also have a personal tracking device for determining a fire fighter trainer's position in the fire scenario. The tracking device can communicate with the control system to determine if the fire fighter would have been in danger due to the fire and smoke.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fire fighter trainer comprising: a burner assembly for providing fire, said burner assembly simulating a burning object;   means for detecting application of fire suppressing agent, said detecting means disposed adjacent to said burner assembly;   a control system for controlling the burner depending on a signal from the detecting means, said control system comprising parameters defining the simulated burning object, means for determining if the burning object simulated by the burner assembly would reignite based on application of fire suppressing agent and the parameters defining the simulated burning object, said control system in electrical communication with the detecting means and the burner assembly, said control system also comprises; means for reigniting the burner assembly, said reigniting means in electrical communication with said determining means; and   a personal tracking device for determining a fire fighter trainee's location in relation to the burner assembly.     
     
     
       2. A fire fighter trainer as described in claim 1 wherein the personal tracking device comprises a tracking unit to be worn by the fire fighter trainee and a receiver electrically communication with the tracking unit for maintaining a track on the fire further trainee. 
     
     
       3. A fire fighter trainer as described in claim 2 where the control system comprises a fireman down control for determining if a fire fighter trainee would have been in harm based on the location of the fire fighter. 
     
     
       4. A fire fighter trainer as described in claim 3 wherein said parameters comprise values for determining heat content of the object. 
     
     
       5. A fire fighter trainer as described in claim 4, wherein said control system comprising a computer having a memory, said parameters stored in the memory. 
     
     
       6. A fire fighter system as described in claim 5 wherein the burner assembly comprises a fuel delivery system, an ignition system and at least one burner, said ignition system in electrical communication with said control system. 
     
     
       7. A fire fighter system as described in claim 6 wherein the ignition system comprises a pilot assembly and an ignition transformer, said ignition transformer in electrical communication with the computer such that the computer can control the ignition transformer to cause the pilot assembly to light. 
     
     
       8. A fire fighter system as described in claim 7 wherein the fuel delivery system comprises a flame safety relay for shutting off gas to the burner if a sensed condition takes place. 
     
     
       9. A fire fighter system as described in claim 8 wherein the detecting means comprises a suppressant catchment system for measuring amount of fire suppressant and electrically communicating a corresponding signal to the control system, said suppressant catchment system in communication with said control system. 
     
     
       10. A fire fighter system as described in claim 9 wherein said suppressant catchment assembly comprises a first portion for measuring liquid fire suppressant and a second portion for measuring foam fire suppressant. 
     
     
       11. A fire fighter system as described in claim 10 wherein the first portion and second portion are in fluidic communication with a common channel, said channel having a screen for separating foam from liquid. 
     
     
       12. A fire fighter system as described in claim 11 including a smoke generator in electrical communication with said control system. 
     
     
       13. A fire fighter system as described in claim 12 including a simulated burning structure within which the burner assembly and detecting means are disposed. 
     
     
       14. A fire fighter system as described in claim 13 wherein the control system comprises a programmable logic controller, said programmable logic controller in electrical communication with the detecting means, burner assembly and the computer. 
     
     
       15. A fire fighter system as described in claim 14 wherein the memory comprises a table defining fire extinguishing properties of specific fire suppressants. 
     
     
       16. A fire fighter system as described in claim 15 wherein the control system comprises a camera and monitor for monitoring the structure during a fire simulation. 
     
     
       17. A fire fighter system as described in claim 4 wherein the control system comprises a mass adjacent to the burner and a thermocouple for determining the temperature of the mass. 
     
     
       18. A method of training fire fighters comprising the steps of: inputting into a computer heat content parameters of a simulated burning object and fire extinguishing properties of specific fire suppressants;   applying a fire suppressing agent to a burner assembly, said burner assembly simulating a burning object;   determining a fire fighter trainee's location with a personal tracking device;   automatically determining if the burning object simulated by the burner assembly would reignite based on measuring application of fire suppressing agent and heat content parameters defining the simulated burning object, said burner having a fire output dependent on a type of suppressant, a detected amount of suppressant and a calculated value of the heat content of the object; and   reigniting the burner assembly.   
     
     
       19. A fire fighter training system comprising: a fire simulator; and   means for determining constructive injury to a fire fighter trainee from the fire simulator during training, said determining means in electrical communication with said fire simulator.   
     
     
       20. A system as described in claim 19 wherein the fire simulator includes a burner assembly for providing fire. 
     
     
       21. A system as described in claim 20 wherein the determining means includes a personal tracking device for determining a fire fighter trainee's position in relation to the burner assembly. 
     
     
       22. A system as described in claim 21 wherein the personal tracking device comprises a tracking unit to be worn by the fire fighter trainee and a receiver electrically communicating with the tracking unit for maintaining a track on the fire fighter trainee. 
     
     
       23. A system as described in claim 22 including a control system having a fireman down control for determining if a fire fighter trainee would have been in harm based on the location of the fire fighter. 
     
     
       24. A system as described in claim 23 wherein the fireman down control has input comprised of the position of the fire fighter and sensors relating to the burner assembly. 
     
     
       25. A system as described in claim 23 wherein the tracking unit comprises a data link unit for allowing the control system to provide information to the tracking unit. 
     
     
       26. A system as described in claim 22 wherein the sensors include smoke sensors, hazardous material sensors, heat sensors and simulated explosion sensors. 
     
     
       27. A method for a trainee to learn how to fight fires comprising the steps of: having the trainee enter a fire simulator;   igniting a flame from an object in the fire simulator;   sensing where the trainee is located relative to the fire;   placing a fire suppressant on the flame by the trainee; and   identifying whether the trainee has been injured by the flame.   
     
     
       28. A method as described in claim 27 including after the placing step, the steps of sensing the suppressant placed on the fire, extinguishing the fire if enough suppressant has been placed on the fire, sensing the object's temperature, and reigniting the fire if the temperature of the object is above a predetermined temperature.